Friends Are Family
by Gamer AlchemistZ
Summary: Sequel to Strongest Under the Heavens. Watch scenes concerning the DC/MK gang and the Z-Fighters and how they deal with life after the defeat of the B.O. Some scenes are before or after the epilogue of both stories.
1. Flying Lessons

**Flying Lessons**

"You all want to learn how to fly?" Bardock asked the eager students in front of him.

Sera clasped her hands together, eyes pleading, "Please."

Bardock scratched the back of his head, "Well, I'm not really the teaching type. Papa is, most definitely. Everyone else, not really either. Mr. Piccolo is a big nope, since when he taught Papa he threw him at a tree."

They stared at him wide eyed, and now a little frightened. He laughed lightly, "Don't worry; I won't do that to you." He cleared his throat, "Alright, first things first. You have to be able to control and release your ki."

They blinked blankly. "Ki?" Kazuha asked.

Bardock scratched the back of his head once more, "Well, ki is your energy; your life force. Without it, you wouldn't really be able to do anything. Everyone one has it, so in actuality, if they wanted to, anyone could learn how to fly."

"If that's the case," He heard from a few yards away before suddenly Shinichi, Heiji, Aoko, and Kaito appeared before him.

"Eh?" He questioned confusedly.

Kaito grinned mischievously, "We didn't come at first because we thought you had to be super strong to be able to fly. Now that we know you don't have to, we want to learn as well."

Bardock glared at him, "You just want to make this harder than it already is for me, don't you?" Kaito whistled innocently. He sighed, "Alright, here. I'll give you a demonstration."

He put his hands out in front of him, cupping them so they faced each other. "First step, bringing out your ki. Everyone has ki, so all you have to do is feel it. It'll be like a pull of some sorts, wanting to burst from your very core." His hands lit up as his raw ki came forth, "And voila."

They stared in awe at the light coming from his hands. "Sugoi," Aoko mumbled.

Bardock let the light die out, and smiled at them, "Alright, your turn." He motioned for them to sit down as he did as well. They nodded and took a seat in front of him.

Soon, they all had mimicked his position and tried to bring out their ki. He noticed Aoko getting tense as she tried to force her ki out. "No, no, no Aoko-san." He knelt in front of her, taking her hands in his, "Relax. Don't force the ki out, bring it naturally. Like I said, everyone has ki. You will be able to bring it out."

Aoko smiled gratefully, nodding. Bardock let go of her hands and stood, glancing at everyone else. He couldn't really tell who was actually the strongest out of them. Kaito didn't have as much ki, Aoko was barely above him. Shinichi and Heiji had about the same amount, but it wasn't very high to begin with.

Out of Ran, Kazuha, Makoto and Sera, Kazuha had a lower ki then the other three, but it was still stronger than the other four's. It must've been because Aikido was only about taking people down. Sera's was almost a match for Ran and Makoto. Though Sera had very good techniques and could go toe to toe with the others, she relied on strategy than strength.

Ran and Makoto had about the same amount of ki. He hadn't seen Makoto fight, but according to Ran, Sonoko, Shinichi, and Sera; he could fight his way out of a thousand men, as could Ran. If any was going to master how to fly in the least amount of time, it would be Ran and Makoto.

"I got it!" Kaito suddenly exclaimed excitedly, his hands lit up with his ki.

"No way," Shinichi grumbled as he watched the magician's eyes light up.

Bardock clapped with a smile, "Congrats, Kuroba. Why don't you rest right now? Since you just mastered how to bring forth your ki, you might be exhausted."

Kaito nodded, sighing heavily as he let his ki disappear. He flopped down on the grass and immediately started snoring. Aoko's eye twitched in irritation.

Shinichi's eyes snapped open when his hands lit up, "I got it!" Though, like Kaito, his ki didn't shine bright, it was still there.

Bardock's eyebrow suddenly twitched; it seemed that the seemingly over the top, mischievous, patient and intelligent ones were getting it, not the strongest ones. He glanced at Heiji; the Osakan boy wasn't the most patient person he had met.

Soon, the rest had gotten their ki out. Most were tired after bringing it out, but Ran, Sera, Kazuha and Makoto were the only ones still eager to learn the next steps.

"Alright," The half saiyan smiled, "Now, for this bit, if you still have enough energy, all you have to do is focus on your ki and push it under you. Once you get it, you'll be flying faster than a plane in no time."

They all stood up, trying to follow his instructions. Kaito and Heiji were hopping up and down; Aoko and Kazuha were standing on their toes, trying to force their flight. Shinichi, Ran, Sera, and Makoto were concentrating intently.

Bardock sighed lightly, leaving them to it. He went into the woods and found a river. He grinned excitedly. He stripped off his clothes, only leaving his boxers and jumped into the river.

What seemed like hours later, the students had actually got a few feet in the air. Wondering where their trainer was at, they set off to go find him. Kaito was the only one to find the river.

"Bardock," He called, "Bardock!"

He jumped back when something burst out of the river. Bardock was in front of him, a giant fish on his back, "You called, Kuroba?"

Kaito shivered in fear and disgust as he eyed the giant fish, "F-f-f-fish." Bardock raised a questioning eyebrow. "FISH!" He screamed, running back to where the rest of the gang was at.

Bardock grabbed his clothes, dragging the fish along by its tail. When he got back, Aoko, Shinichi, and Heiji were laughing uproariously. Aoko came up to him and placed a loud kiss on his forehead, "Thank you, Bardock-kun. That made my day."

The half saiyan blinked confusedly before he felt a smack on his head. He looked up at his teenage parents. "Bardock, what did you do to Kuroba-kun?" Videl asked with a glare.

Bardock scoffed, "I did nothing. He just freaked when he saw the fish. It's not my fault."

Gohan sighed, "At least try to be careful next time."

His son narrowed his eyes at him, "This wouldn't have happened if you and Videl didn't run off and make me a teacher all of a sudden. This was your job."

Gohan laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head while Videl only glared back at the saiyan. "Actually," Gohan scratched his cheek, "It was Dad who was supposed to be teaching them, but I think he went to the park with Vegeta, Goten and Trunks."

Bardock's eye twitched; _Grandpa sure is clever._

…

Meanwhile, in Satan City Park, Goku sneezed into his ice cream, whining as half of it came off and onto the ground.


	2. Rematch

**Rematch**

"Eh?" Bardock blinked confusedly. He felt a blush start as he stared at the girl standing in front of him, "A rematch?"

Ran nodded with a determined smile, "Yes, a rematch. The match in the tournament didn't count."

Bardock discreetly rolled his eyes, his blush receding slightly. "It never does." The tournament from last year didn't count either. He sighed, scratching the back of his neck. "Are you sure? Did I hurt your pride or something 'cause I gave up? 'C-cause I didn't mean to, but I still could've beaten you up. You may be one of the strongest humans on this earth, but there's just no way you could beat-YAH!"

He dodged the punch that suddenly came at his face. He panted lightly in shock, "What the heck is wrong with you?!"

Ran got into a fighting stance; there was no way he'd ever voice the fact that he found that insanely attractive. "Fight me." She gave a shout and charged at him once more.

Bardock dodged the attacks easily. Sure, Ran was strong, but she couldn't match up to him. Though he may like her, he was never easily distracted when it came to fighting. He kept it up until he noticed her attacks getting slow and stopped her fist with his finger, "Really, Ran-san. This is just my basic form and I can keep up with you."

Ran panted lightly, "Basic form?" Maybe she needed to start training 8 times a week. This was her finest, yet she couldn't lay one punch on the boy.

Bardock nodded, dropping his hand and hers, "Yeah, basic forms. I have 6 forms so far."

Ran's eyes lit up, "Could you show them to me? I heard about them, but I didn't get to see them."

"Uh," Bardock swallowed harshly, blushing; a girl had never shown interest in his powers. His father's powers and grandfather's powers, sure, but never his. She really had to stop or he might just fall in love with her. "Sure."

He cleared his throat, readying himself. He glanced wearily at Ran, "You might want to step back. A lot." He exhaled shakily when she complied.

"This is my basic form, and this is my ascended form." He turned into a super saiyan, "This is called a super saiyan."

He clenched his fists, powering up, "This is a super saiyan 2." His ki became higher, as did the astonishment in Ran's eyes. No, that was his ki burning his face, not another blush.

"This one's gonna be harder than the other two only because I haven't used this form that much," He inhaled deeply, feeling his ki ready to burst through the surface. "This is a silver saiyan."

He shouted loudly, rising his ki up to break open the door holding his last form. The ground shook under him and the wind blew harshly. Ran dug her nails into the ground to try and hold on. Her eyes strained against the wind, trying to keep her gaze on the powerful boy in front of him.

Bardock growled as his hair turned silver and his eyes turned gold, his tail escaped its cloth confines as it whipped behind him sharply and swiftly.

"There," He grunted at the still astonished Ran, "That's the forms." He dropped out of the form with a rough sigh. He really wished he didn't have to use that form anymore. It never did him any good.

"Wait," Ran said, tilting her head cutely. Bardock blushed once more, cursing himself for such a juvenile thing. "You said there were 6 forms. You only showed me 4."

Bardock scratched the back of his head, frowning. "Yeah, I would show you my other form, but one of them is a killing machine and the other is a killing machine, but a giant ape called Oozaru."

Ran narrowed her eyes at him doubtfully, but didn't say anything. She'd have to believe him for the time being. She frowned and began walking away.

Bardock watched her walk away before he sighed. He really had to bring this up; it had been bugging him for weeks. "Ne, Ran-san," He said to her retreating form, "Do you ever miss Conan-kun?"

Ran stopped abruptly, her eyes tearing up at the mere mention of the boy's name. Though she had Shinichi back, she would forever miss Conan. She turned to him, and he was startled to see the tears. He wanted to do everything in his power to stop it. "Sometimes I wait for Conan-kun in the morning. Sometimes, I wait for my little brother to come and comfort me when I was sad."

"Ran-san," Bardock rubbed her arm, trying to console her. He hated to see her cry, and she seemed to cry a lot since he's known her.

Ran rubbed her eyes, sniffling, "To answer your question, I do miss him. But I do love that I have Shinichi back. I've missed him for so long." She smiled and Bardock felt his mouth dry at the sight. Good Kami, this girl was going to be the death of him.

They were quiet for a moment, reveling in the silence before they heard a familiar Osakan accent from afar, "Gohan-kun, I got a bone to pick with you."

Yes, these two Son boys would always have women being the death of them. The time traveler felt sorry for his grandmother for he was pretty sure his grandfather was the hardest person to deal with sometimes.

Bardock smirked, shaking his head as Ran giggled next to him. He smiled at the girl, holding out his hand, "Come on. I'm sure my grandma should have lunch ready for us."

Ran laughed out loud this time, taking his hand. "Oh, lunch with the Son boys. That's the greatest side show attraction I've ever seen."

The half saiyan blushed, feeling the girl's soft palm in his. It was the first time he had held someone's hand that wasn't related to him. He was blushing a lot more these days just by being with this girl, and he didn't know if he liked it or hated it yet.

He rolled his eyes, ignoring his blush as they trekked towards the Son home, "Whatever. You know that's the highlight of your day." He smiled softly at her laugh, glad she couldn't see him.


	3. Unrequited

**Unrequited**

In Bardock's 20 years of living, he would have never guessed he would ever fall for a girl. Most of his life he was thinking about fighting and saving the world. With peace almost being a fantasy, he never thought of romance.

So why was it that now he would blush anytime Ran Mouri even walked into the room?

She was very, very pretty. So pretty. Really pretty.

Okay, she was the most beautiful girl he had ever laid eyes on.

Not only that, she was smart, the nicest person ever, funny when she wanted to be, and just pleasant to be around. He loved every minute of every day when he was around her.

The only setback to this; she was already fully in love with someone else. By the time Bardock had met Ran, she was already in love with Shinichi Kudo; her childhood best friend, so there was no way he'd even have a chance with her.

It was hard to forget about her though. Every time he saw a pretty girl pass by him when he went to visit his mother, all he could think about was Ran. He wanted to see her all the time and his heart ached when he went more than a week without seeing her. He would go out of his way and ditch training just to visit her. Vegeta wasn't too happy about that.

The only person who ever noticed that he liked Ran that way was his mother, and she would always stare at him sympathetically. He knew what she was thinking; he was too invested in a girl he couldn't have and it was going to break his heart in the long run.

His heart was already broken though, so he knew the risks of liking her.

…

Bardock smiled as he watched Kaito fly around with Aoko chasing him, the sunset as their background. Shinichi was simply floating on while Sera and Makoto were training in the sky. Heiji was asleep under a tree while Kazuha was having fun flying around swiftly.

It was nice seeing people so happy while flying. When he first learned to fly, it was because he had to fight to survive, so it never really made him happy until he learned how to simply appreciate the world and float wherever he wanted.

He blinked; where was Ran? She wasn't anywhere in the sky.

"Bardock-kun." He turned to the familiar voice calling him. Ran appeared from behind the trees, smiling.

He smiled back, feeling his face heat up at just the sight of her. "Where'd you go?"

Ran shrugged, sitting down next to him, "This place is just so beautiful. We never really get the chance to look around. The city is always so packed that you sometimes forget the beauty in nature."

Bardock stared at her face as it was illuminated by the setting sun. He'd much rather stare at her beauty than the sunset's great colors. "Yeah," He mumbled to himself. "Nature's beauty."

She turned and smiled at him, "You probably think I'm just rambling since you've lived here most of your life."

"I never got to look around," Bardock replied with a small smile. "I think Videl told you, most of my life was fighting, so I never got to take the time and really appreciate nature and everything in it. Same thing with flying."

He gestured to the sky where everyone was flying causing Ran to giggle at her friends, "Yeah. They like their new found freedom."

She leaned back on her hands, watching her friends. Bardock blushed fiercely when he felt her hand land on top of his. She looked down, noticing what her hand had landed on. She gave him an apologetic smile and moved it away, "Gomen nasai."

"I-it's fine," Bardock stammered. His fingers tingled and he wished he could have her hand back. He cleared his tight throat, feeling his eyes sting and stood up, "I should go. I'll have Videl come over and tell you when my grandma's done making dinner."

"Bardock-kun," Ran called, standing with him.

He didn't even take two steps before Ran had her arms wrapped around his neck. His body seized for he didn't know what to do. No one other than his family had ever hugged him, especially not a girl he had a full blown crush on.

"Thank you for loving me," Ran whispered as she held onto him tightly.

Bardock swallowed hard, clenching his jaw. He felt his heart constrict painfully at those words. He knew the consequences of loving her, he had told his mother, but he wanted to love her anyways. Not because he wanted to take her away from Shinichi, but because she looked like someone he could love.

"I'm sorry." He felt her body shake against his as she tried to cover her sobs. He frowned; he hated when she cried. "I'm sorry I can't love you like you love me. I'm sorry you're hurting because of me. If things were different, maybe I'd love you too. I do love you, Bardock-kun. You're a great friend." She pulled away, her face full of tears and a regretful smile, "I just love Shinichi too much."

Bardock's breath hitched as he directed his gaze down to the floor. He nodded solemnly, "I get that, Ran-san. I'm not trying to take you away from him. This isn't a competition." He pulled away from her fully and walked away, past the trees and flowers just so he couldn't see her anymore.

He could take a broken bone, broken skin, and a broken skull. He was a saiyan warrior, it was a given. But he wondered that, even if he was a warrior, if he could take a broken heart.

…

He avoided her for months on end. The first month wasn't really his fault. He and the rest of the saiyans were called by the kais to save a planet in another galaxy and when he got back, he just really wanted to spend time with his family.

The next few months were him deliberately trying to avoid her. It was easy mostly because they lived many cities apart and he could fly away whenever he wanted to. No one even knew if he was avoiding her.

It wasn't until Goten and Trunks had asked him to take them to the park where everyone was gathering him and he refused once they mentioned who was going. The boys seemed confused since he always perked up whenever they so much as mentioned the other gang.

Vegeta had only shaken his head, Goku was confused as well, but Bulma, Chi-Chi, Gohan, and Videl knew well on what was going on with the time traveler.

Soon months turned into years. The last time Bardock himself had seen his other friends was 2 years ago. That was saying something since Videl and Gohan had always visited them at least once or twice a week. Goku and Vegeta would occasionally meet them at certain places in the city. Bulma and Chi-Chi made it their mission to meet up with the ladies at the end of every week. He told everyone it was because of the other mission they took from the kais and how he wanted to be in his own galaxy for a while. The mission only took a month, but it took two weeks to recover from the damage he had been through on the mission. No one believed him fully since he was still avoiding them.

The only thing that brought Bardock back to them was the wedding invitation.

Ran's wedding invitation.

The time traveler stared at the card his mother shoved into his hands blankly. He knew the day was coming. He should've known there was no escaping. They were set to be married right when gave Shinichi his body back.

"Are you going?" Videl asked gently.

Bardock dragged his eyes to her, and Videl could see how troubled he was after so long. The hard part of it all was that no one understood what he was going through. Videl had only loved one man in her life romantically and that was Gohan and vice versa. They didn't know the heartbreak their son was going through.

Bardock huffed, throwing the card on the table as he stood up, "I'm going to bed."

"Bardock, please," Videl called out to him, but he had already slammed his door. She was surprised it didn't break the walls.

…

She was so beautiful, Bardock thought as he watched Ran happily dance with Shinichi, her husband. She was glowing so brightly, and he knew how much she waited for this day. He knew this day would come himself, he just didn't think it would hurt so much.

His chest felt hollow, his eyes felt tired, and his heart felt so raw he wondered if he might need a new one to forget this whole ordeal.

He assumed he zoned out for it was Ran's voice that brought him back to the present. "I didn't think you'd come," She said softly, gazing at him with sad eyes.

He smiled because she was one of the only people who could make him so happy just by looking at him. He tapped her nose, "What's with that face? It's your wedding day. There's no sadness on this day."

Ran laughed lightly, wiping at her eyes, "I'm sorry. It's just been so long since we last saw each other. You've grown so much." She now had to lift her head to look up at him.

Bardock grinned, putting his hand on her shoulder, "Anyone can be taller than you, short stuff." He laughed when she swatted his hand away.

She smiled, "You look better since the last time I saw you."

Bardock swallowed, trying to smile back, "Does your husband know you're complimenting other people on your guys' wedding day?"

Ran gave him a sharp look as if telling him to take this seriously. He didn't want to. He wanted to forget everything. He never wanted to have feelings for anyone ever again. She was ruining him for anyone else.

"You've been avoiding us for years," Ran said brokenly, her eyes filling up with tears.

She was so easily moved to tears, he thought. He sighed heavily, moving his gaze away from her, "I've been busy."

Ran nodded, sniffling, "I know. Your mom told me about the missions you've been taking from the kais. You had to go save other worlds, and I don't blame you for that. But what about when you came back? Why didn't you come and visit? You know we love to hear your stories."

Bardock rubbed his eyes in frustration. He didn't know why he was being an idiot. He hated this. "I'm sorry. I just…" He felt his eyes sting with unshed tears. "I-I couldn't…I couldn't stand seeing you when all I wanted to do was love you. I can't do that and I needed time to really tell myself that. I need to understand that. You belong with Kudo. You love Kudo and that's all there is to it."

"I'm sorry," Ran hiccupped, letting out a few tears.

Bardock shook his head, feeling tears cascade his face as well. He grabbed her into a tight hug, shaking his head continuously. "Don't apologize for what you do or don't feel. I'm glad to have met you, Ran-san. You've shown me how big a person's heart can be. You showed me what it's like to love from all directions."

He pulled away, smiling widely, "I'm sorry for being a jerk. It wasn't right and my reasons would just sound like excuses." He held out his hand, "I'll always love you, Ran-san, but I think we're meant to be friends. And if that's all I'm going to get then that's all I'll take. I want you in my life, Ran-san. Forever and ever no matter what you are to me."

Ran gazed at him in astonishment before giggling happily and shaking his hand, "I'll always love you too, Bardock-kun. I also think we're meant to be friends. We'll be the best of friends. I want you in my life as well; forever and ever."

Bardock's grin was so wide for the first time in years, he felt like it was going to split his cheeks apart. He laughed, pulling her into a hug again, "It sounds like we just got friendship married."

Ran laughed with him as Shinichi walked up with a small smile, "Everything okay here?" He regarded the half saiyan, "Bardock, it's good to see you again. I see you've been hogging my wife this whole time."

Bardock saw Ran's face light up at the word and realized that he wanted this. It didn't matter if he was the one Ran loved; as long as he could see her smile so brightly, so happily, he was happy.

He punched Shinichi's shoulder lightly, grinning, "Sorry about that. We were just having some friend talk. You're not allowed to hear it since you're the husband now."

Shinichi grinned back, "Well, now that you're here. Let's all dance, shall we?"

"Take a girl out to dinner first," Bardock scoffed playfully, smiling when he heard Ran giggle. He wrapped his arm around Shinichi's shoulder. "Well, let's hit that dance floor."

As everyone danced crazily at Ran's and Shinichi's wedding, Bardock realized that this is what happiness was. It wasn't about being in love with someone, it was about sharing each and every moment with people you loved.


	4. Goodbyes

**Goodbyes**

It was that time, Bardock mused to himself. He was going back to his own timeline after 15 years. He didn't know how much time had passed, so he thought now would be best since Pan left 8 years ago.

The Pan from this timeline was already 2 years old and had everyone else. He just felt it be best now if he left to his timeline. They were already fixing up another time machine with him and he just thought of something.

He forgot to say goodbye to his friends. His other friends.

He had seen them a few weeks ago when Ran had asked him to baby sit their son Conan and then the rest of the gang threw their kids in the mix. By the end of the night, he was colored and piled on by a bunch of two year olds.

He felt like he owed it to them to at least say goodbye. He didn't know how long he'd be away for in the other timeline.

…

He arrived at the Kuroba residence first. Once he hit the ground, the door burst open revealing a very energetic Toichi, "Bardock-jisan."

Bardock laughed, catching the boy when he launched himself at him. "Hey, Toichi. Are your parents at home?"

Toichi giggled as the half saiyan held him upside down, "Uh-huh. Mommy was just about to make a snack. Do you want one?"

"No, thank you," Bardock smirked. A snack for him was like a 5 course meal and he didn't want to put Aoko through that.

"Who was at the door, Toichi?" Aoko walked out, her gaze landing on her son and the half saiyan. "Bardock-kun! What brings you here?"

Bardock smiled, placing Toichi on his shoulders, "Some serious business. Can I come in?"

"Of course you can." Aoko stepped aside and let him walk in; making sure her son didn't hit his head and the door sill. "So what kind of serious business are we talking about here?"

"Well," The half saiyan began, glancing around. "Where's Kuroba? I need you all here for this."

"I got you," Aoko winked before turning her head towards the stairs. "KAITO! BARDOCK-KUN IS HERE AND HE HAS SOMETHING HE WANTS TO TELL US!"

"Coming!" Kaito's voice flew down before smoke enveloped the whole living room. Kaito grinned as he appeared, ignoring everyone's coughs. "Yes, Bardock?"

Bardock rolled his eyes, keeping his smile on, "Well, as you know, I'm from a different timeline. I've been gone from there for 15 years, but I don't know how much time has passed over there and I'm starting to feel a bit homesick for being away for so long. So I decided I need to go back."

They all gaped at him in silence. It was only broken when they heard sniffling. "Oh, Aoko," Bardock sighed, "Please don't cry."

Aoko balked, "It's not me."

"Toichi?" Bardock guessed, moving his gaze down to the young boy.

"Nope," The messy haired boy shook his head.

Bardock groaned, moving his gaze to Kaito, "Really, Kuroba?"

Kaito faked a sob and threw himself at the half saiyan, "Bardock, why?! Don't leave me."

Bardock gave him a flat stare, his eye brow twitching immensely. "Kuroba."

…

After that almost cringing goodbye, Bardock moved onto the Hattori residence. He hoped this wouldn't be as painful as the other one. And by painful, he meant slightly annoying. He knocked on the front door, waiting a moment before it opened.

Heiji grinned when he saw the other male, "Bardock, hey. What's goin' on?"

"Nothing much," Bardock grinned back. "Would you mind if I came in?"

Heiji moved to the side, gesturing inside the house. "You're always welcome."

Bardock nodded his thanks as he walked in. He carefully sat down on the nice couch they had in the living room and sighed. He glanced around, "Are Kazuha-san and Sakura here?"

Heiji nodded, "Sakura's in her room and Kazuha's in the bath. She should be done soon." He regarded the other male curiously, "Why? Is this an important visit?"

"Uh, yeah, you could say that," Bardock stated with a small smile.

Heiji went up to get his daughter while Kazuha came out of the bathroom, drying her face. She blinked, staring at the half saiyan. Bardock could see her eye twitch. "Heiji!" She yelled angrily. "Why didn't you tell me we had company?"

"Ahou," Heiji replied, walking out of his daughter's room with said girl. "You never listen to me when you're in the bath."

Kazuha scoffed, "Ahou." She smiled at their guest, "What brings you here, Bardock-kun?"

Bardock cleared his throat, smiling when Sakura came down to sit next to him, "Well, I guess I came here to say goodbye. I'm going back to my timeline since everything here seems fine and I don't know how long I've been gone."

"Goodbye?" Sakura sniffled, latching onto Bardock's arm. "Bardock-jisan, no. If you leave, no one will play tag with me anymore."

Bardock patted her hair, smiling lightly, "You have everyone here to play tag with you."

"What about being my teddy bear?" Sakura pouted.

Bardock chuckled, hugging her to his chest, "No, that's my job. Don't worry, I promise to visit. You know I can't stay away from you guys for long."

Sakura nodded reluctantly while Kazuha frowned a bit sadly, "As much as it hurts to say goodbye to a friend, I know this won't be the last time we see each other again."

"That's right," Bardock smiled. "I'll be back, don't worry. Nothing is forever."

…

The last stop was the Kudo residence since he had already said goodbye to his boss at the police station and the older people such as Kogoro, Eri, Agasa, Yukiko and Yuusaku. He also had already said goodbye to Genta, Ayumi, Mitsuhiko and Ai. The one who took it the hardest out of the 12 year olds was probably Genta. He was going to miss someone who could compete with him in eating.

Bardock opened the door since they gave him a key to the house. He shut the door quietly, "Hello? Conan? Ran-san?"

"In the kitchen, Bardock-kun," Ran said from another room.

He grinned, following the familiar pathway to the kitchen. He found the woman at the stove, working hard at making dinner. He leaned against the doorframe, watching her contently. He only broke from his stare when he felt someone tugging at his pants.

He chuckled, lifting the boy in his arms, "Hey, Conan."

"Hi, Bardock-jisan," Conan laughed, holding onto Bardock's strong shoulders.

Ran finally turned around after she turned off the stove. She smiled widely at the newcomer, "Bardock-kun. What brings you here?"

"Some important news I need to tell you about," Bardock responded with a small smile.

"Finally got a girlfriend?" Shinichi quipped as he walked into the kitchen. He ruffled Conan's hair and gave Ran a quick kiss.

Bardock gave his a sharp look, "Ha ha, very funny. Coming from the guy who was in love with his best friend for years and didn't tell her until a few _saiyans_ wished his body back to him."

Shinichi narrowed his eyes at him while Ran giggled from behind him. She pushed them all out of the kitchen, "Come on, Shinichi. Bardock-kun said he has something important to tell us. We can all eat dinner while he tells us."

Bardock shook his head, "No, that's okay, Ran-san. I wouldn't want you to make more than you already have to. Besides, I'll just eat when I get back home."

"How about a bowl?" Ran questioned as they all sat at the table.

Bardock seemed reluctant but he knew he couldn't resist her food, "Oh alright." He stood, smiling, "But let me help you set the table."

After everything was set and everyone had their food in front of them, Bardock began, "Well, a few days ago, I decided I need to go back to my timeline. I've been away so long that I don't know how much time has passed and since I know everything's alright here, I don't need to stay here."

Conan's jaw dropped as the food he was holding in his chopsticks fell back into the plate. Ran looked immensely sad while Shinichi seemed like he knew this was coming. "When are you leaving?" The detective asked.

"The end of the week," Bardock replied with a sigh. "I don't want to have to leave, but I need to back to my timeline. I do still have family over there and I miss them too."

"Will you be back, Bardock-jisan?" Conan asked, his lips quivering.

Bardock nodded, ruffling his hair, "You know it. Nothing can keep me away from you guys."

Ran smiled softly as she stood from her seat and hugged the half saiyan, "Be back soon, okay? We'll miss you too much."

Bardock smiled, hugging her back. He wondered how long he would be gone. He didn't want them to miss him too much. It was hard enough to say goodbye as it was.


	5. Other Timeline

**Other Timeline**

It had been weeks since Bardock had been back to the other timeline. He had to go to school because Pan told her parents she didn't want to go alone, and that Bardock missed it in the other timeline.

There he had met the young kids he took care of in the other timeline. Conan looked much like Shinichi, but acted more like Ran which was good. It meant the kid didn't have such a big ego. He met Sakura who looked and acted just like Kazuha. Toichi was a surprise since he acted so much like Kaito. In the other timeline, he acted more like Aoko. Mamoru and Ryu were exactly the same where they looked and acted exactly like their fathers Makoto and Wataru respectively.

He hadn't met anyone else yet. A part of him was scared that he wouldn't be meeting the same people he met in the other timeline. They were going to be way different from before, especially since they had a different type of androids to deal with.

So one by one, he met them and saw how different they were.

…

Bardock first met Sonoko and Makoto when he and Mamoru had to work on a project together. They were much different from the Sonoko and Makoto he remembered. This Sonoko was much more protective of her children while Makoto was way more stoic than he remembered. He guessed it was because of the androids that roamed around for far too long.

When he got to his friend's house, he knocked on the door, waiting for it to open. Moments later, a smaller looking Sonoko opened it. Her eyes widened at the sight of the half saiyan, "Hello?"

Bardock smiled, "Hello, I'm Son Bardock. Pan's twin brother. I'm looking for Makoto. We're supposed to be working on a project together."

The girl suddenly flushed as she smiled widely and held out her hand, "I'm Kyogoku Saori; Makoto's younger sister. It's nice to finally meet you, Bardock-san. Pan always talks about you."

Bardock's eyebrow twitched as he continued smiling; knowing Pan, it was probably some bad things she would talk about. He wondered how much they knew about him already.

"Saori, who was at the door?" Bardock stiffened when he heard Makoto's voice. There was no doubt in his mind he would try to attack him since he was talking to his daughter.

Makoto now stood in his line of vision, glaring at him. Bardock swallowed, waving his shaking hand, "He-hello, Kyogoku-san. I-is Mamoru home? We're supposed to be working on a project together."

"Mamoru's upstairs, not down here, obviously," Makoto stated calmly with his arms crossed.

"Of course," Bardock nodded.

"You don't have to be so cold, honey," Another voice entered the conversation. The half saiyan mentally sighed in relief; Sonoko was there and she'd stop Makoto. She sent her husband a sharp look before smiling politely at Bardock, "Why don't you come inside and I'll show you where Mamoru's room is."

Bardock nodded frantically, stepping inside, "Thank you, Kyogoku-san."

"Call me Sonoko," Sonoko smiled, leading the boy upstairs. "I don't want you getting mixed up here."

"Yes, Ky-uh…Sonoko-san," He mumbled, following her upstairs.

…

When he met Aoko and Kaito, he was helping Toichi fix his airplane that the human boy used for a project at school. He had told the boy it wasn't a good idea to attach a camera to the plane and peek up girls' skirts and use that as an invention project, but the boy waved off his concerns.

Pan later broke it when a furious Sakura told her about what had happened between her and Toichi.

Toichi had asked Bardock to help fix it since the boy did have an advanced mind and he still needed to turn in the project. The other boys didn't want to help him since they told him he was being a little too much like his dad.

"Toichi," Bardock blinked when he heard Aoko's voice come up the stairs to the house. "Are you hungry? Dinner's going to be in an hour or two, so I need you to-"

She came in to see the two boys at Toichi's desk, fiddling with an airplane and a camera. It only took two seconds for her to figure out what the plane was made for.

A mop appeared seemingly out of nowhere as her whole face darkened, "Toichi~"

Toichi flinched, throwing the remains of the plane in his friend's hands, "I-i-i-it's not m-m-mine, Mom. I-i-it's Bardock's. Yeah, Bardock's. He just needed my help fixing it."

"TOICHI!"

Bardock ran out of the room first before Toichi followed him. Once Bardock was to the door, he was met with Toichi's father Kaito. He panted a laugh, "Kuroba, hey."

Kaito stared at him confusedly before yelping when his son pushed him out of the way. "GET BACK HERE, TOICHI!"

Bardock ducked, barely dodging the mop. It smacked Kaito dead in the face as Toichi ran out of the house and into the streets. The half saiyan didn't know what to do with himself, and he was slightly scared.

…

The incident with Heiji and Kazuha Hattori was not one he wanted to experience ever again. Unfortunately, Pan liked to recall it at the most inappropriate times and Conan kinda hated him for it.

They all went to study at Sakura's house and while they were there, it had begun to rain harshly. Conan had warned them not to have the study group on that day since the weather report the day before said it was going to have harsh storms.

Sakura cursed when she remembered something, "Crap. I left trash outside. My dad will kill me if it litters the whole street."

Bardock patted her shoulder reassuringly, grinning, "I'll bring it inside."

"What?" While Sakura did look very grateful, she was also very reluctant to let her friend out in the harsh storm. "Bardock-kun, I can't let you do that."

Bardock chuckled, "It's fine, Sakura-chan. I don't ever get sick and I've taken on worst things than a storm."

"I'll go with you," Conan stated, standing up from his spot on the floor.

Bardock rolled his eyes, pushing the boy back down, "I'll be fine, Conan. You, on the other hand, get sick at least every other month."

"Be careful," Pan muttered, going back to her studies while Conan frowned at the truth in the boy's words.

Bardock opened the door and ran outside quickly. Unfortunately for him, Pan had told him before he had even met the gang that he could not use his powers ever around them. She was worried about what they would think and if anyone was going to tell them, she would be the first.

So he had to deal with the brunt of the storm. He picked up the almost ripping, soggy trash bags and ran back into the house. Even being out there for a minute made him soaking wet.

Sakura was already ready with a towel. She grabbed his hand and led him to the bathroom. "Here," She said, passing him a towel. Her eyes were full of worry and it was the first time someone was worried for him about something so trivial. "You need to take off your shirt before you get sick."

Bardock wanted to tell her he wouldn't get sick since it was just water, but he held in his sigh and did as he was told. He sneezed, accidently tangling his arms in his wet shirt.

Sakura sighed, "Bardock-kun. Let me help you." She tugged on the shirt fiercely before it gave away in her hands.

Bardock caught her hands, and brought her back upright. Sakura tripped over her own feet and landed face first into Bardock's bare chest. Her face was like fire on his chest from how much she blushed.

"Boy…" Bardock shivered at the Osakan voice. He turned, smiling sheepishly at Heiji who now glared harshly at him.

How do I keep getting in these situations, he thought to himself.

…

He met Ran and Shinichi when he was invited to Conan's house when he was 18 and couldn't stop blushing; she looked so beautiful for someone who was almost 40. It was a sight to see since when he left the other timeline she was in her early 20s still.

The next time he had seen her, he had went to go see Conan when he saw her taking out groceries from her car. He decided to lend her a hand when he saw just how much she had bought.

He sidled up next to her, smiling politely as he took out one of the bags. Ran looked very surprised, snapping her head quickly in his direction. She was relieved when she saw it was one of her son's friends.

She laughed a bit shakily, "Oh, Bardock-kun, it's you. I thought someone was trying to steal my groceries."

"Well, if you let me eat at your house, it'd be almost the same thing," Bardock joked, grinning widely when she laughed. He loved making her laugh. He lifted the bag higher, hoping to hide the blush that was making its way onto his face.

Ran smiled gratefully, "Thank you." She grabbed the last of the groceries and shut the door to the car. Once they were inside, she patted his shoulder, "My husband and son never help with groceries. It's nice that his friends help though."

Bardock set the bags down, laughing nervously, "Well, my mom and grandma buy a lot of food for us, so I feel it's the least I could do in helping them. I don't know how to cook, so I rely a lot on my mom and grandma."

Ran smiled amusedly, taking the food out of the bag and setting it in the fridge, "Well, thank you again for helping me with the groceries. Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Bardock blushed a bit and snorted, "As much as I'd like to say yes, trust me, you don't want me to stay here. I eat more than a small army."

Ran looked shocked, and he smiled; that was almost her reaction the last time she had seen him eat. Bardock backed away, smiling again, "I'm gonna go see Conan now."

Ran waved him away with a small smile, "Go on now. It was nice seeing you again."

He felt his face burning, "You too." He ran up the stairs, breathing deeply. That was seriously going to take a while getting used to.


	6. Sleepover

**Sleepover**

Bardock had never slept over at a friend's house before. No, sleeping over at Capsule Corp. didn't count since that was practically one of his homes.

He never had a friend invite him over to their house and let him stay over. Mostly because he didn't have any friends until he got back to his old timeline. He was only ever friends with his parents and that just sounded weird to begin with.

So he was slightly glad that Conan had asked him to sleepover at his house so they could study for their finals in school. Bardock knew almost everything that was going to be on the test, as did Mamoru, Sakura, Conan, and Pan, but Toichi and Ryu were having troubles. Conan suggested the sleepover since it had been awhile since the last one and Bardock had never been to one. The time traveler agreed to it, wanting to at least experience that.

…

Toichi yawned widely, effectively making everyone else yawn. The messy haired boy groaned, laying his head on his notebook, "I can't do this anymore. I'm tired."

Pan grabbed his ear and lifted his head up, "We're all tired, Toichi. We're here because you don't get the material, so we're trying to help you."

Toichi groaned whiningly, rubbing his abused ear, "Takagi doesn't get it either. Why don't you do something to him?"

"He's not being annoying," Pan muttered, going back to her notebook.

Bardock grinned mischievously at Ryu's blushing face. He stretched his arms high, sighing, "I say we get a snack before we go to sleep, but-"

"No," Conan protested. "My mom just bought groceries, and I've seen how you and Pan-chan eat, Bardock. My family needs food too."

"Conan," Ran walked in, looking slightly disappointed, "You can't blame Bardock-kun and Pan-chan for eating so much. They like their food."

Bardock stuck his tongue out at the boy while Pan snickered behind her hand. Ran smiled, "Alright, everyone. Why don't you all get to bed then study tomorrow? It's a non-school day tomorrow, so you have more than enough time to study."

"Okay, Mom," Conan sighed, putting all his supplies away. Toichi cheered and threw his supplies in his book bag.

Bardock groaned, rubbing his tired eyes. He hated school, especially when he was in an 18 year old body with a mind in its late 20s. He wondered how Pan faired since she was in the same situation as he was.

Soon, the boys were in one room while the girls were in another. Once Toichi's head hit his pillow, he was out like a light. Mamoru and Ryu took a bit but soon they were out just like Toichi.

Conan made a noise in his throat as he put his glasses away, "Night, Bardock."

"Night, Conan," Bardock smiled lightly before the light was turned off. He laid back on his pillow, staring up at the ceiling. His eyebrow twitched when Toichi's snores became fierce. He was surprised the other guys were able to sleep through it.

He sighed silently, floating into the air and leaving the room. He didn't think he'd get any sleep tonight no matter how tired he was. He scratched his head, walking down the stairs of the Kudo house quietly. He slipped his red headband off his wrist and tied it to his forehead; it was soothing to do it since he usually wore it when he knew a fight was coming. Now it was calming; reminding him that everything was safe in the world.

"Bardock-kun?" Bardock blinked at the small, harsh light coming from the kitchen. Ran shut the fridge, tilting her head and regarding the boy questioningly, "Shouldn't you be asleep right now?"

Bardock laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head, "Sorry. I couldn't sleep because Toichi was snoring so loudly. I have sensitive ears so no matter how tired I am a loud noise can still keep me up."

Ran frowned sympathetically, "That's too bad. You boys looked tired too. I thought you would all knock out by the time your heads hit your pillow."

"Toichi's did," Bardock mumbled before smiling. "So, why are you up? Is Kudo-san here yet?"

She shook her head with a small smile, "No, Shinichi isn't here yet. He's working late tonight, so I was leaving him food in case he's hungry when he gets home."

"I know I'm always hungry when I get home," Bardock stated lowly.

Ran chuckled amusedly, "We've all seen how much you eat, Bardock-kun. No one is surprised when you say you're hungry."

"Rude," Bardock muttered jokingly, grinning when Ran laughed with him, covering her mouth to quiet herself. He blinked, furrowing his brow when he saw a scar on her forearm. It was faded, but it looked deep. "Kudo-san…"

Ran followed his gaze and immediately hid her arm behind her back. She cleared her throat, taking a step back, "I think you should go back upstairs and sleep."

Bardock felt his throat tighten and his jaw clench involuntarily. He swallowed, "It was the blonde woman and dark haired man, wasn't it?"

Ran's breath hitched, confirming his suspicions. He bit his lip, shaking his head, "I'm sorry. How did it happen?"

Ran wiped her eyes as tears poured down her face fast, "They came one day. They were coming after Conan. He was just a small child, no older than ten years old. Shinichi tried to fight them but they broke his leg. It's why he walks with a slight limp. When they were getting Conan, I tried to grab him out of the woman's hand, but she stabbed me with her knife hand.

"I thank Kami everyday for the little boy who distracted them. My prayers go out to him and his family. I have no idea what happened to him, but it probably wasn't good," Ran cried silently into her hands.

Bardock gazed at her solemnly before taking her hand, startling her, and putting it on the back of his neck where his scar resided. He smiled slightly, "They gave me a scar as well." He swallowed once more, taking the plunge, "After I killed them."

Ran stared at him in wide eyed shock. The half saiyan felt his heart hammering against his chest; Pan told him not to tell their friends, she never said anything about their parents. In the other timeline, it was easy since they had seen them in action and later had everything explained to them. Bardock didn't like secrets, and yet he kept one from almost everyone.

"You couldn't have," Ran whispered brokenly. "You would've only been a boy."

"I was ten years old when I killed them," Bardock replied quietly. "When I was 5, they attacked my father and almost killed him. He was in a coma for 5 years while I swore I would kill them. They had killed so many people already and I couldn't let them live. When I was 10, I fought them and I won. It was hard, but I did what I had to do."

"How?" Ran breathed, still in shock. "You were so young and they were ruthless killers. There's no way."

So Bardock proceeded to tell her of his heritage, of how he defeated the androids, of how he time traveled and how he defeated Buu before he came back to this timeline. He even told her of her life in the other timeline and reassured her that yes; she was still happily married to Shinichi and had Conan.

If there was one person Bardock couldn't keep a secret from, it was Ran.


	7. Reunion After 13 Years

**Reunion**

Bardock grinned in anticipation as he walked up to the Kudo house. It had already been a few days since he came to visit the present timeline. He had wanted to visit all of his friends, but he was caught up in recovering from the fight with Super Android 17.

Now with a cast around his broken arm, he decided to pay a visit to said friends. The first stop was the Kudo house because Conan, Shinichi and Ran were the people he wanted to see the most. No offense to his other friends. He just felt bad since he told them he was going to visit soon and soon because 13 years later.

But it shouldn't be his fault for staying in his timeline.

He knocked on the door and only had to wait a moment before it opened before him. He grinned at the now 15 year old Conan who stared at him confusedly behind his glasses. "Hi."

"Hi," Conan greeted him slowly. "Can I help you?"

Bardock chuckled, shifting his broken arm in its sleeve; it was starting to get itchy. "Are your parents here?"

Conan nodded, still keeping his stare on the older male, "Yeah. Why?"

"I'd like to see them," Bardock smiled. "Tell them Bardock's here."

Conan sighed, "Just wait here." He went back inside, leaving the door open. "Mom, Dad. There's a man here. He says his name is Bardock."

Bardock could hear pots falling into the sink abruptly and pens falling on the table in shock. He resisted the urge to smile when he heard the two rushing quickly. Before he could even open his mouth to greet them, he was glomped on in a smothering hug.

He laughed happily though he felt the slight pain coming from his broken arm, "Hey, guys. Sorry I'm late."

The two pulled back from him and glared, "Late?" Shinichi rolled his eyes. "That's an understatement."

Bardock laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head, "I know; 13 years late. I'm sorry, but I had to stay in my timeline. I didn't know so much time was gonna pass."

Ran sighed lightly, smiling, "We can't be mad at you. At least you finally came back." She glanced down at his broken arm worriedly and ushered him inside, "What happened to your arm?"

Bardock glanced down at the broken appendage as well and smiled sheepishly, "Oh, well. When I got back I had to fight this strong android and I ended up using the spirit bomb fist. It's so underdeveloped since the last time I did it, I broke my arm again."

He expected the glare and smack to his head from Ran. She sighed exasperatedly, "Really, Bardock-kun."

"My mom was like that too," Bardock mumbled, glancing at the teenage boy who kept his confused gaze on him. The half saiyan acknowledged him, holding out his left hand to the boy, "You might not remember me. I'm Son Bardock, a friend of your parents. The last time I saw you in this timeline, you were two years old."

Shinichi blinked while Conan continued to look confused. "In this timeline?" The detective asked. "You mean you've met us in your original timeline?"

Bardock nodded as Conan shook his hand, "Sure have. You're only two years younger than my parents, so we weren't as good as friends as we are in this timeline, but I was best friends with Conan, Sakura-chan, Toichi, Ryu and Mamoru."

He snickered at Conan's blushing face, "I guess you still have a crush on Sakura-chan, huh? Don't worry; in my timeline, you guys just got engaged."

Conan's face almost burst into flames from how red it got. Ran squealed happily while Shinichi seemed to begrudgingly accept the relationship; he couldn't believe his son liked Heiji's daughter.

Ran gasped in delight, "Let's call everyone over for dinner. I'm sure they'd be happy to see you, Bardock-kun."

"That sounds like a great idea," Bardock grinned widely.

…

"Sugoi," Kaito mumbled in awe as Bardock finished his story. "You used the same technique like when you were fighting the androids that were after us."

Bardock nodded, grinning, "Yeah, and it still hurts like hell. My dad told me not to use it since it's so underdeveloped, but it was the only way to damage the guy. And hey, we did defeat him."

Toichi raised his hand, "Is it true that you taught our parents how to fly?" At Bardock's nod, he frowned, "Then why don't they fly all the time?"

"That's their problem," Bardock grumbled, glaring at his friends. "They pleaded so much so they could fly then they turn around and say it's unfair to other people that they can fly and that other people can't. It's called training the right way."

Shinichi rolled his eyes, sipping his drink, "Yeah, yeah. I'm not really a fighting man, so I didn't really need to know how to fly."

"Coming from the man who tried to enter a fight with terrorizing androids," Bardock deadpanned, causing Conan to smirk.

"Enough about fighting," Aoko spoke, smiling at Bardock. "Tell us, how was the other timeline?"

Bardock cleared his throat, scratching his cheek, "Well, you guys are way older than you are now. Your kids are older too; they're my age. I'm not really friends with you guys since you're all working.

"Kudo and Hattori are the highest ranking detectives in their district. Miwako-san and Takagi are inspectors. Megure retired. Aoko-san is a secretary at a very popular company. Kazuha-san is a teacher at an elementary school. Kyogoku has his own dojo. Ran-san is a great lawyer. Sonoko-san helps with her family's company and all your kids have their own jobs as well."

"Ne, Bardock-kun," Sonoko grinned, nudging the half saiyan. "Enough about us in your timeline. What about you? Did you finally get a girlfriend?"

Bardock's face burned brightly causing the adults and their kids to start snickering behind their hands. Shinichi cooed mockingly, pinching the time traveler's cheeks, "Look at that; our boy's growing up."

Bardock batted his hands away, glaring at him. He tugged at his collar, still blushing, "W-w-well, I mean, I guess you could say I have. BUT I'M NOT TELLING YOU!" He shouted at everyone's eager face. At Ran's and Kaito's puppy dog gaze, he crumbled, "Her name's Bra Briefs; you might know her."

Conan spit his drink out all over Toichi who stared at the older male with wide eyes. Ran clapped her hands in delight, walking over and hugging Bardock, "That's so great, Bardock-kun. I wish you all the happiness in the world."

Bardock continued to blush, rolling his eyes when he saw Heiji, Kaito and Shinichi laughing at him. Well, he enjoyed the attention from his actual friends.


	8. Aftermath of Bills

**Aftermath of Bills**

Pain shot through his body. Needles felt like they were wedged in his skin permanently and delved deeper every time he so much as lifted a finger. He supposed it was his fault for tapping into the dark power. He knew he shouldn't have done it; Bills could've been handled with the spirit bomb himself. He didn't know anymore, and he didn't care to know. For now, he would just deal with his stupid physical therapy.

He hadn't seen his father since the incident, and a part of him didn't want to see him; didn't want to face the mistake and scars he had given his father. Bulma reassured him that Gohan wasn't mad, and was happy that his son was still alive. That didn't help Bardock from feeling any better.

The last thing on his mind was seeing his friends. In the back of his mind, he did want to see them, but he didn't want to see them in the current state he was in. He was leaving soon, and he wanted to say goodbye to them; not saying goodbye would ache his heart and soul.

His surprise came when he was doing his physical therapy, gripping the bars so tightly they almost bent under his saiyan grip. Luckily, Bulma invented some bars that were saiyan proof so he wouldn't break them out of frustration or over exerting himself.

"Bulma-san didn't say it was this bad," Bardock heard a familiar voice enter the room. His sweaty hands slipped off the bars in shock, sending him to the floor. "Bardock-kun!"

Bardock groaned, feeling Ran's hands helping him sit up. He stared at her confusedly, "What are you doing here?"

Ran smiled softly, "Bulma-san told us about the fight and how you defeated him. She also told us that you decided to go back to your timeline."

Bardock shook his head, grabbing the bars and making a desperate attempt to stand back up, "What she didn't seem to tell you was that I did something stupid which got me to this state. I'm almost partially paralyzed and I attacked my father; the one man I was trying to protect."

"You did protect him," Ran insisted, rubbing his back. She hoped she could comfort him somehow. She knew that people in this situation were bitter and full of hatred, and she didn't want her friend going through that. "He's not dead, just hurt. You did your best and you saved the universe again. Don't blame yourself for this."

Bardock sighed raggedly, sitting down on a nearby chair. He took the towel Ran held out to him and wiped the sweat off his forehead. He clenched his jaw, "I just wish there was a better tactic at beating Bills. I wish I didn't have to do what I did to beat him."

Ran sat next to him, smiling, hoping to appease him. "You did what you had to do." She rested her hand on his tense forearm. "How bad is it?"

Bardock inhaled deeply, "Well, right now I can't walk correctly and I probably won't ever be able to again. At this point in time, I can't fly, use a ki blast or turn into a super saiyan. Bulma says I'll be able to when I can feel my legs again."

"What about your other forms?"

He shook his head a bit miserably, "Nah, not right now or in the near future. Super saiyan two will probably be after a year or two of physical therapy. Silver saiyan is a no go. That's fine with me; that form hurt worse than taking a punch from Bills."

Ran chuckled slightly, rubbing his arm. She smiled, "There are no more threats, Bardock-kun. I think the only reason you're really miserable, besides what happened with your father, is because you're afraid you won't be able to defeat another threat coming. Let me reassure you; there won't be any if you're still around."

Bardock smiled slightly, turning his arm around and taking her hand in his, "Thank you, Ran-san. It's nice to hear." He gazed ahead, sighing, "I guess I should be getting back to my timeline though. I told my parents I'd be back right after I defeated Bills."

Ran smiled once more, leaning her head on his shoulder, "As much as I want to say 'please don't go, we'll miss you', it's your life and we can't make you stay here all the time."

Bardock laid his head on hers, grinning, "I'll visit. I swear I won't take so long this time."

"You better," Ran smacked his arm as they stared forward.

If it wasn't for Ran, Bardock knew that he would still be in the slump he had been in the last few days. It was her words that almost got him back to his usual self.


End file.
